Casket handle



Patented Jan. 1, 1952 ieisrrezNrr seem CXSKET HANDLE amen IL. Gordon, Clevelanil Heihts, 01110, signofitmChicago White M'etal Products, -lnci,

=Ghi'cago, -Ill.,-a eorporati'onmf lllinois ixefiiieatiun F-sruary 24, e49,*-serii1-n0.dens

' ZClaims. (one-1 11 'Ihis invention rei'ates to eofiin hardware and particularl -t c'fifiin handles.

rhe priinaryhbj'ect of this invention is t'o p'rovfde a oofiin-handl'eofthe type comprising a fixed hand rail suppo'rted oy spaced bra'kets that can 'be 'easily assembled, either before or after the su pbrt brackets ar e attached t'o the eofiin.

Anotherobject is to provide a'eoiifin-handleof the type stated that can be assembled and ffnount'ed'without danger of scratching o'r niarring the fihiSh G f the hand rail or coifin. I

further object is "to provide coffinhandle ha'vin'g a detachable hand rail "that-is normally loek'e'd rigidly in pla'ce'on its supporting brackets "-whi1e at the same tinre being capable lof easy': disenga-genient therefrom. v

Still another obje'ctis toiprovide acoffin handle theit is simple, inexpensive and well adapted for thehurposintended. i

These and other objects of 'thednvention will become apparent from a reading of the following specification and elaiin'stogetherwith tlieficcomp'anying drawing whe'reinz Figure -1-'is aside elevation of ac'oifin having 'a handle made in accordance with this invention;

Figure -2 -is aright end view of' the same Figure 3*is-a front vieivof a support braeket; Figure4 is a rear vieW of :the'sanie; 2 Figure is v a *rear view of the support bracket 'shown in the 'Fig ur-e 4 with the hand rail locked inzplace;

.. .-Figure 6 is alongitudinal se'ctional=vi'ew taken along r-th 'e *line and the direction of the arrows Wi -6 of the Figure 4 aFigure"? is a iongitudinal sectional :view taken along the'line andin the direction-of =the= arrows h T-Qfthe Figure-4;

Figure- 8 is a vertical sectional 'view taken 'along :the 7 line and i in the direction of the arrows 8 4! -of=the=Figure-5-;

Figure *9 is a front view-of the-lockingkey Figure 10 is ar-ight end viewof the same :and

Figured 1' is a toDFVieW of the same.

Referring to the Figure 1, there is shown a handle made in accordance with this invention as it appears whei-i' inourited on the frdnt wall I l of a conventionalcasket oreoffin It. Asimilar handle is mounted on the rear wall of the --cefiin; the

. coflin being lifted by means of the two handles.

The preferred 'iorin *ofhandleiilu'strated comprises a hand rail I5 and its three suiipoi ting ibraick'ets 2D.

The brackets-are castinbmnZeEbrass Gr white Each brac l fet ha's a-rila'e rear'hr posterior face 29 that is da'pted'to seat agaiii'st the outer wall I I df tlfe eoflin l-ij. Referetrceenaraeter 22 indicates mountingears-i1 1 which mounting-screws arjeiseated and depending arsm an that iis-su or teurb "the the bracket 2-0, and away iremthe side 16f the as -23' has horizonfial 'cencave'grobves in cut theresnewni'meue Figure i'netal'arid are-providedwitna suitable decorative design 2| as is the common practice in the art. -pb'siti'o' c'ofiin H when tne bracket is mount'ed thereong'as shown in the Figures 6, 7 '-a d T e t and width' of the channe1 23 is such-that the'hand rail l5 "eann'e :nest'ed therein as shown in the Figures 3, 5 and 8. rue *eross=sectional corrfiguration n'of the hand :ran shown 'i's that :of a --semi-fiattened tube and the :c'harinl :2 3 is there-- f'or'e rectangular -'in eross 'sedt ion. However, round or square tubing :is used the #shape of th'e =channe1 aamusebe altered a-dordingly. A pair of oppesed E parallel slets *er ReyWayS l 24 and 24a arecut in thejupper and lower faces ofz-th'e'ehannel 23. These slots start at the -rear elilg'e of' the chanhel'and are angled toward the frorit as sho'wn in the Figures-6 and- 7. -'lihe startingipoint; or first 'endpof each slot is identified ib the numeral 36. *while the -terminu's, or s'econ'd end, of eaehfislot is identified by the numeral 31. A key 25h'avin g bevelle'd "edges 21 is". slidably erigagable with 'the slotsi l and 2 4a.

The hand rail l5=3c'an-be made o' f 'any suitable bar stock or tubing anii inthe preferred form ishowniis :made -of tubular-stock, for "the s k fgf lightxiess; The tube is =slight1y comor'essed arid ieprov ided w'i-th'iongitudinally extendingdecoreitive grooves i i l-in drder to impmveiss appearance.

R'eference character 32" -indiates decorative -termina1 iiplugs that cover the :raw ends 6f the hand-rail 1'5. 'Ihe ufrtieal tvall 'bf tl'ie chafiinel -in iinat hiatewiih deeerative the hand ran IBas'Shovvn -in tIie I he hand rail ii 5 attaheii th the res 2-0 by ne's'tin-g the hand ir'ail in the cha ed in the aligned "24 571101 in; fl t their first ends 36 with its flat side zfi against the hahii rail P5. l he key Q?) is then inoved elenthe nots 2 4 aha- 24a whose angular "hrsn eauses thekey is to press brogressiviy 3, firmer against the hand rail l as the key is moved along the keyway toward the second end thereof, 57, thereby securely wedging the hand rail l5 against the channel walls. An anvil-like handle 28 is provided on the key. This handle serves as a striking surface for driving the key along the keyway to obtain a greater wedging action. The mating grooves 12 and 3!, of the hand rail and channel respectively, provide additional interlocking surfaces between the hand rail and bracket so that it is impossible for the.

hand rail to tilt or rattle in the bracket.

As will be noted from the foregoing disclosure the handle is assembled by nestin the hand rail IS in the channel 23 of each of the support brackets 20. This is done by merely laying each bracket channel over the hand rail at the proper point and then securing the hand rail in place on the bracket by means of the key 25. bracket has no encircling ring or hole through which the hand rail has to be drawn, as is the case with other handles of this type.

In as much as the hand rails are usually completely finished and polished before assembly, the process of drawing the hand rails through such bracket holes often resulted in the nicking The V and scratching of the highly polished hand rails.

The possibility of damaging the hand rail durin assembly is completely eliminated with the instant invention.

,The handle can also be assembled by first mounting the brackets 20 on, the side of the coffin at the proper intervals with their channels 23 aligned as shown in the Figure 1; The hand rail 15 is then slipped between the bracket arm 3B and the coffin wall H and nested in the channels 23 of the brackets 20. Keys 25 are then inserted in each of the bracket keyways and wedged tightly against the back of the hand rail 15 as shown in the Figure 8.

Since there is no threading or sequential engagement of the brackets, the cofiin wall cannot he accidentally marred by the hand rail as itis being secured to the brackets. The mounting of the handle on the cofin therefore can be done quickly, easily and without the timeconsuming precautions necessary with other types of handles.

While the handle shown in the preferred form has three supporting brackets, the numberof brackets may be increased or decreased to suit the length of the handle and the weight to be supported.

While the hand rail is securely wedged in place by the keys 25 so that the hand rail l5 and the brackets 20 become a single unit forall practical purposes, the hand rail can be released and removed, if so desired, by removing the keys 25. A new hand rail having a different finish or a different color can be easily substituted without removing the brackets 20 from the cofiin.

It will now be clear that there is provided a device which accomplishes the objectives heretofore set forth. While the invention has been disclosed in its preferred form; it is to be understood that the specific embodiment thereof as described and illustrated herein is not to be considered in a limited sense as there may be other forms or modifications of the invention which .should also be construed to come within the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A coihn handle, comprising in combination, a plurality of linearly aligned and spaced bracket members adapted to bemounted on the side of a 4 coffin, each of the said brackets having a laterally extending and dependent arm portion formed integral therewith, each of the said arms havin spaced upper and lower horizontally extending parallel walls formed therein and connected by a vertical wall spaced inwardly from the posterior face of the said arm, the several walls together defining a horizontally extending U-shaped channel which intersects the aforesaid posterior face of the arm, the saidupper and lower walls having oppositely positioned parallel slots therein, each of the said slots having a first end and a second end, the said aligned slots being angularly disposed with reference to the said vertical wall and nearer to the vertical wall at their second end than at their first end; a single longitudinally extending hand-rail positioned in the said channels of the several brackets, the thickness of the said hand-rail being greater than the distance between the second end of the slots and the vertical wall but less than the distance between the first end of the slots and the aforesaid vertical wall; and a key mounted in each pair of aligned slots in pressed engagement with the said hand-rail, whereby the hand-rail is caused to bear against the vertical wall of said channels in rigid locked engagement with the several brackets.

2. A cofiin handle, comprising in combination, a plurality of linearly aligned and spaced bracket members adapted to be mounted on the side of a coiiin, each of the said brackets having a laterally extending'and dependent arm portion formed integral therewith, each of the said arms having spaced upper and lower horizontally extending parallel walls formed therein and connected by a vertical wall spaced inwardly from the posterior face of the said arm, the several walls together defining a horizontally extending U -shaped channel which intersects the aforesaid posterior face of the arm, the said upper and lower walls having oppositely positioned parallel slots therein, each of the said slots having a first end and a second end, the said aligned slots being angularly disposed with reference to the said vertical wall and nearer thereto at their second end than at their first end, the said vertical wall having a plurality of adjacent cavities in the face thereof; a single longitudinally extending hand-rail positioned in the said channels of the several aligned brackets and having a plurality of adjacent protuberances that interfit the said vertical wall cavities, the thickness of the said hand-rail be ing greater than the distance between the second end of the slots and the vertical wall but less than the distance between the first end of the slots and the aforesaid vertical wall; and a key mounted in each pair of aligned slots in pressed engagement with the said hand-rail, whereby the said hand-rail is caused to bear against the vertical wall of said channels in rigid locked engagement with the several brackets.

ALRED L. GORDON.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Johnson Oct, 22, 1940 

